Buy the eBook

Synopsis

Fresh from solving her third mystery, Gethsemane Brown’s ready to relax and enjoy her summer. Her plans include nothing more dangerous than performing in the opening ceremony of the annual rose and garden show and cheering on Frankie Grennan, who has entered his hybrid rose into the competition.

But when a mysterious stalker starts leaving Frankie floral bouquets as coded messages, Gethsemane fears a copycat may be planning to recreate the still-unsolved murders of the infamous Flower Shop Killer. Then Frankie’s main competitor in the rose show—and the reason his marriage failed—turns up dead in Frankie’s rose garden. Frankie takes first prize in the category of prime suspect.

So much for a relaxing summer.

As bodies start dropping like rose petals, Gethsemane must judge the other suspects and find the real killer. Or rose bushes won’t be the only things dead-headed in Dunmullach.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

FATALITY IN F by Alexia Gordon | A Henery Press Mystery. If you like one, you’ll probably like them all.

“Engaging protagonist Gethsemane Brown conducts orchestras with bravura and murder inquiries with bravery, while contending with the help (and hindrance) of a resident ghost and the Irish Gardaí. Alexia Gordon hits all the right notes in Fatality in F, fourth entry in her award-winning series, which finds Gethsemane on the scent of a garden show killer who’s trying to frame her friend for murder.” —Vickie Fee, Author of Til Death Do Us Party

Author Bio:

A writer since childhood, Alexia Gordon won her first writing prize in the 6th grade. She continued writing through college but put literary endeavors on hold to finish medical school and Family Medicine residency training. She established her medical career then returned to writing fiction. Raised in the southeast, schooled in the northeast, she relocated to the west where she completed Southern Methodist University’s Writer’s Path program. She admits Texas brisket is as good as Carolina pulled pork. She practices medicine in North Chicago, IL. She enjoys the symphony, art collecting, embroidery, and ghost stories.

a cozy mystery worthy of a comfortable chair

This time around, we have a Garden Show, a stalker, and a copy-cat killer. Or in Clue terms, the rose garden, hedge clippers, and redacted for spoilers.
I’ve been travelling a lot for work lately and recently found myself stuck in the Denver airport waiting on my delayed flight for way too many hours. During my delay, I read the entirety of Fatality in F. I am ever so thankful to have Ms. Gordon’s characters and mysteries to distract me from the craziness that is being stuck in an airport!
I genuinely love the characters in this series and want to insert myself into their stories! Gethsemane is marvelous. Her amateur sleuthing may start out as harmless, but she always seems to end up in the wrong spot at the wrong time. I appreciate her tenacity in unraveling each mystery that comes her way.
The men in Gethsemane’s life try their darndest to keep her safe. But “Fearless Brown”, as Frankie likes to call her, is just that. She’s out to solve the case, putting herself in danger on a regular basis.
I appreciate how the different characters help each another, keeping each other safe and out of trouble. Or at least trying to keep each other out of trouble. 😉
Eamon is developing his ghost skills and is very protective of Gethsemane. He’s also learning about the 21st Century, watching (and quoting) movies and learning about the internet. That internet scene had me chuckling out loud. I definitely get a very Ghost and Mrs. Muir vibe between Eamon and Gethsemane. I’m excited to see how this relationship develops in the rest of the series.
The plot of Fatality in F moves swiftly. To use the cliche, it’s a real page turner. My concerns with Death in D Minor are no longer an issue in this novel. I was easily able to navigate the setting and follow along with the characters. The mystery is well designed. I picked up the clues right along with Gethsemane. But, unlike Gethsemane, I never did determine who the perpetrator was!
I’m also really glad that Gethsemane has friends, not romantic interests, in the male characters in these novels. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with romance. I’m a fan. I’m just glad to see a female character who is strong and capable on her own.
Some side notes:
When I read these books, I really feel like I should be taking notes of the music and listening along. Future note for ebook publishers, link or embed the music listed in the plot. That would be a lot easier than my having to stop reading to look up the musical references.
I seriously loved the flower symbols aspect of the plot in Fatality in F. It’s a subject in which I have a personal interest. It shows the great research Ms. Gordon puts into her books.
"Frankie studied it. “Euphorbia, chamomile, eucalyptus, and spirea.”
Gethsemane consulted The Language of Flowers. “Perseverance, energy in adversity, protection, and victory.”
I’ve only read two of the books in the series (I KNOW, what have I been doing with my life?); I can safely say that, yes, you can easily start this series at book 4. There is enough explanation and back story to make the plot easy to follow for a new reader.
Fatality in F is a cozy mystery worthy of a comfortable chair (or uncomfortable airport chair in my case) and a hot beverage of your choice. Or enjoy a whiskey like Gethsemane and her friends. Just check out this book, and this series!